Self Confident or Prideful?

Pride is something that we all have to deal with at one time or another. There are several scriptures in the Bible that warn us about being prideful. Not only are there scriptures that tell us not to be prideful, there are some that tell us what happens when we allow our pride to overtake us.

Sometimes, we can be prideful and not even know it. I have had this problem before. It is ok to have self confidence. We are suppose to confident in who we are in Christ. But Romans 12:3 says, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” Seeking God and walking in love is the way to be sure you are not crossing over the confident line into pride.

Corinthians 8:1 says that knowledge puffs  up but love edifies. When we are knowledgeable in a certain area, we may feel the urge to show and tell what we know. We may even be eager to prove someone wrong. I believe this is what the scripture means when it says knowledge puffs up.  Dictionary.com  defines edify as “to instruct or benefit, esp. morally or spiritually; uplift”. So, when we walk in love, even though we know something, we are not sharing it with others for our benefit. We share it for their benefit. Sharing it for another to benefit is not calling them out or embarrassing them in public either.

Jesus told us in Luke 14:7-11 about giving ourselves honor. When He saw people choosing honorable seats for themselves, He told a parable about being invited to a wedding. Verses 8and 9 says “When thou art bidden by any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest place, lest a more honorable man than thou be bidden by him,and he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, `Give this man thy place,’ and thou begin with shame to take the lowest place.” Proverbs 16:18 tells us that pride and a haughty spirit comes before destruction and a fall. So, we shouldn’t elevate ourselves because this only leads to us being “brought down a few notches”. Jesus finishes this parable in verses 10and 11 by telling us that we should choose a low position, so that we can be exalted by another (Also See Proverbs 27:2).

God does not tolerate pride. In fact, pride is what got satan kicked out of Heaven. Isaiah 12:13-14 says satan thought he could be higher than God. War broke out between satan and the Archangel Michael (Revelation 12:7-9). As a result of this pride, not only did satan get thrown out of Heaven but a third of his angels as well.

It is ok to feel good about yourself. It is good to have self confidence. But let’s not get too carried away. Ask God to reveal to you anything that is within you that is not like Him. Let me be the first to say that I have had to pray this prayer. Ask God to forgive you for being prideful. Proverbs is a good place to start when studying on pride. Love is another good thing to study when trying to find out how not to be prideful.

“Father God, show me anything that is not like you. I pray that you will give me a clean heart and a right spirit. Renew my mind so that I can be meek and humble only to exalt You”

Living For God Pride Truth wisdom Posted under Bible by admin